Autumn is here. Our grapes are currently going through a process where they change from hard green inedible shapes to something that starts to resemble the soft fleshy grapes that you are most familiar with.
This process is called Veraison which is French for the onset of ripening. It is also the time when the red varieties like Pinot Noir begin to colour up. As the season advances the berries will get heavier as the sugar concentration increases and the acid levels decrease.
This is when the magic begins!
At the moment the berries are not edible, but as the sugar level increases, and they taste less acidic, the fruit becomes more attractive to birds. So a lot of effort is spent at this time of year attempting to prevent the birds from eating the grapes.
The flavours in the Sauvignon Blanc increase as the fruit ripens, our goal is to harvest at maximum flavour and the fruit refines enough to hold that refreshing acidity aspect to make our famous, award winning Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc.
Autumn is an exciting time of the year for all winemakers around Marlborough, all we need now is for the weather gods to play their part.
Cheers Glenn, Winemaker